Love and Loss
by Scandinavian Sensation
Summary: AU. Midoriya and Ashido spent a cold moment together, following the death of the world's greatest hero. Neither of them went looking, but tragedy has a strange way of drawing emotion out - even pulling on the strings of the heart when necessary.


_Disclaimer: **I don't own anything written here.**_

 _ **My recommendation is to read this while listening to : Watashi kara Kimi e from season 2 of MHA. It'll really bring the mood in.**_

 _ **I was feeling down when I wrote this, so expect the tone to be a tad bit sad, but also kind of hopeful. It's also way set in the future. I wasn't super happy with how the ending came out - I didn't want it to seem like a circumstance driven thing that was built on nothing, but there's a limit to what can be said in a one-shot. So yeah, it's just meant to be a fun little intro-to-romance thing.**_

 _ **Otherwise; enjoy!**_

* * *

Nobody lived forever.

Mina Ashido knew that, but only secondhand.

Her paternal grandfather had died when she was a baby, so she hadn't had to endure the hardship of watching someone in her family pass away. Her paternal grandmother had died before she was born, and her paternal grandmother was nowhere to be found, leaving her with just her maternal grandmother to visit as a child. It was a little sad, at first, because some of the other children spoke of getting to visit their grandparents, but as she grew older, she realized it was as hard as it was not having them, it was even harder to watch them grow old.

Silently, Mina would thank whatever deity she could think of for gracing her parents with such good health. They were both fit, healthy individuals with no illnesses to speak of, and because of that, she didn't have to subconsciously worry about something tragic happening to them anytime soon - lest a villain accidentally catch them during a rampage. However, that was a fear that everyone shared, and she tried her best to not think about it.

Ignorance is bliss, as they say.

So that's why she suspected that the first funeral she'd ever had to attend was possibly the hardest thing she'd had to endure thus far. She hadn't been able to stop crying throughout the entire ceremony, using her sleeve as a tissue, desperately trying to dry her eyes, just for another round of tears to blur her vision. Honestly, it was between her and Hagakure for who'd cried the most - although Mineta had come _very_ close to surpassing them.

Not that anyone would blame them; All Might was seen as Japan's greatest hero. His death... was monumental.

His retirement, during their first year, had been impactful, and it had re-shapened the world of heroes. Villains had crawled from their dark, grimy holes, looking to take advantage of the suddenly gaping hole at the top of the heroic world. Young heroes, fresh from high school, and veteran heroes, scarred and experienced from years on the streets, suddenly had to step up their game in order to make up for _just_ the lack of All Might's presence. His death...

That was a whole different story.

"This doesn't even feel like home anymore..." Hagakure murmured, her face buried into a pillow as she laid prone on the couch. The entirety of what was now called class 3-A - since they'd successfully made it to their third year - had only recently gotten back from All Might's private funeral, and it was easy to say that the mood was incredibly somber.

Mina barely felt like moving, let alone getting back into the swing of things. But she knew Aizawa - their homeroom teacher once again - wouldn't be willing to let their sorrow fester. If anything, the rugged underground hero would be trying to get his class up and running again, offering them personal time to consult and confess their feelings, but otherwise, he'd be enforcing his number one rule: don't let emotions cloud your judgement.

A loud thump was heard, and Mina lazily turned toward the table, where she saw Yaoyorozu slam her textbook closed, unshed tears hovering in her eyes. She took a shaky breath, and vigorously rubbed at her face, trying to clear the tears away. "I-I'm going to make some tea; would anyone else like any?"

"Please," Tsuyu said quietly. She was holding onto Tokoyami, who'd been silent since arriving back to the dorms. The two had grown close, but it was Tsuyu's tendency to hug something whenever she became distraught or scared that had become 'their thing'. He was the go-to for comfort, originally, and Tsuyu had just found him approachable, leading to their... thing.

Mina hadn't really been sure what to call it when she found out. It had caught everyone off-guard, mostly because of who was involved in the first place. There were very few similarities that people found (minus their whole, animal-theme?) but it was observed that they complimented each other very well. Tsuyu was a very well-rounded individual, capable of supporting whomever fell into her care, whereas Tokoyami was silent, but very courteous, and had grown to thrive with Tsuyu's presence nearby. He had to depend less on his writings and readings in order to tame Dark Shadow, and instead, he could simply bask in her calming aura, the mere thought of her calming the raging demon inside.

It had been the first relationship formed, but not the last. Hagakure and Ojiro were quickly after, though they did have a fleeting break-up once as Hagakure was incapable of expressing herself in the correct manner; a subtle flaw from living so many years as an invisible girl. Once Ojiro had come to understand the girl's stance, and she came to understand what she could improve upon, they were back together and inseparable. Even Ashido herself and Kirishima had a fling; but ultimately, nothing much developed from it. Their personalities, while similar, just... didn't mesh in the way she hoped. He was nice, a great friend, and someone she believed would make a girl very happy... but she wasn't that girl.

Besides; she had come to enjoy the singularity that her life brought her. It wasn't as if dating was the only thing that gave her validity - she was perfectly capable of being the life of a party on any given night, and the dorm had seen plenty of this at work. She knew the right man would come in. They'd just have to get used to the rather... wild way she looked (and acted).

Right now, though, she kind of wished she _did_ have a boyfriend. It wouldn't be a bad idea to snuggle up and cry into his shoulder. In fact, she was kind of jealous that Tsuyu was able to find physical comfort somewhere. Not to say she didn't believe the frog-girl deserved it; she just... maybe wanted her own source of comfort, right about now.

Todoroki silently stalked into the kitchen, gently touching Momo's hand and offering her a small, but heart-warming smile, not to be lost on Mina's perceptive gaze. Another couple that had spurned from nowhere - Todoroki was a complete _novice_ when it came to dating... but, _somehow_ , his awkward tendencies won over the tall girl, and her own awkward tendencies meshed with him, creating an inseparable connection between the two. Really, it seemed like _everyone_ was dating now... or at least talking to someone.

Except her.

That suited her just fine; she'd said it once and she'd say it again for those in the back. She didn't _need_ anyone.

... She just wouldn't mind if she _had_ someone.

"... he's still out there?" Mina turned toward the kitchen, where Yaoyorozu and Todoroki conversed lightly, the tall girl's worried gaze drifting toward the window. Ashido's own golden eyes followed her stare, and to her surprise, she noticed a mess of green hair among the gentle flurry of snowflakes outside. It had been _blisteringly_ cold out during the transit between the funeral home and the dorms, and Mina had been _more_ than happy to be inside once they'd arrived back at the dorms, surrounded by blankets and heat. So she had no clue why he was still out there.

Todoroki hummed quietly. "I couldn't convince him to come in. He's not talking."

"To you?" Yaoyorozu said in surprise. A low whistle drew her attention back to the tea, and she moved a pot from the stovetop as steam poured from the fine china's stout. "It makes sense for him to take this the hardest... he did interact with All Might the most out of anyone."

"I don't like seeing him like this."

Mina didn't need to look at the couple to know that Yaoyorozu was probably placing a tender kiss on his nose. That was _their_ thing.

"He'll be... alright. Tragedy always requires time to assist with the healing."

Was time really the salve that everyone spoke of? Mina had heard person after person, teacher after teacher, tell her the same thing at the ceremony: _it'll all be better with time_. In fact, during a rather somber lecture from Aizawa during their first year, he spoke regarding the prospect of casualty among their line of work, and how it was inevitable. For many, it was a wake-up call; nobody had really considered the idea of someone dying under their aid. It had opened up the idea for different students to receive psychiatric help for preparation and to clear their mind of the cold reality: not everyone could be saved.

Yet, today, despite the numbing feeling that had spread through her chest as several people spoke about All Might and his influence in their life (and so many others), she had felt like nothing would truly fix the creeping void that had settled in her heart. She had loved All Might... like a second father. He was their voice of emotion - the man that, despite his once frail form, was willing to better them for no personal gain. He worked hard with every single student, and made them feel... special. He was their father away from home.

And something occurred to her as she thought about that.

For every family day the dorms hosted, Inko Midoriya filled the dorm with her delicate voice and frequently shed tears, but there was something that was missing from the picture of mother and son. The other piece to their trifecta - the male, elder Midoriya.

She'd never actually recalled seeing Midoriya's father. It was hard to say, mostly because she'd been so preoccupied with her own family that she hadn't bothered to really pay much attention to anyone else, lest she was introducing them (and she _did_ make sure to introduce her family to EVERYONE) but she didn't readily recount meeting the older Midoriya.

Reasonably, she knew she could ask Bakugou... but it seemed somewhat... _cowardly_. She didn't lack the gall to ask him herself; but it was a personal matter, and there was no reason to involve anyone else unnecessarily, even if they'd know.

Speaking of involving others... Mina looked around outside, trying to spy out a head of chestnut brown hair, but was surprised to find none. She frowned; recently, Uraraka had been seen hanging around with Bakugou more than normal. There had been quiet mutterings that she and the blonde-haired teenager were romantically involved, but without any solid proof from either of them, it was chalked up to a rogue rumor at best. However, Uraraka's absence was... concerning. Midoriya needed _someone,_ and without the gravity girl by his side, Ashido wasn't particularly sure who would be there.

"Hey, Hagakure?" The invisible girl groaned from her face-down position on the couch. "Did Uraraka go off with Bakugou when we got back?"

Slowly, Tooru flipped herself over and sighed as she did so. "I... don't really remember, to be honest. I wasn't really paying attention, but... I think so. They were talking on the bus... why?"

Mina knew better; Kirishima was usually with Bakugou - the two barely spent time apart in times like this. As the years had gone by, their bond had grown stronger than steel, and Ashido didn't know if she could pick on anyone else to rival the duo that had become Kirishima and Bakugou. Internally, she mused it was possible that her red-haired ex-boyfriend was secretly harboring feelings for the blonde-haired explosive expert, but perhaps he was confused, or maybe his feelings weren't what Mina took them for, because he hadn't acted anything out of his norm with Bakugou. She knew she could simply be overlooking it - she had a habit of doing that, especially when it came to romance.

Perhaps Kirishima was with someone else? She couldn't exactly recall who he'd gone off with after the service - she'd been too busy sobbing.

"Nothing..." Without taking her eyes off of the green-haired teenager, Ashido finally responded, debating whether or not to bite the bullet - and the cold - and trudge outside to keep him company. It wasn't as if they weren't friends - they'd shared their unique experiences with each other, the rigors of the heroics course forcing unlikely companionships that ended up lasting for much longer than just the moment the bonds were formed. Midoriya had been there for her several times, and never failed to give her a helping hand.

From studying, to actual field training, her strength-augmenting classmate had proven himself to be a valuable ally, and a more valuable friend. It wasn't as if they were best friends, sharing secrets nightly; but he was easily one of the first person at her side in a pinch, and she was more than happy to return the favor. So it wasn't a matter of asking whether or not he was worth enduring the cold...

 _It was whether or not he wanted her there in the first place._

Finally, after a few moments of silent deliberation, her heart and brain decided to appease one another, and came to a unanimous decision. That was how she found herself lacing up a pair of boots and zipping up her jacket, drawing a few glances of surprise from her classmates in the room with her.

Yaoyorozu, somehow, didn't seem too surprised, though, as she offered the pink-girl two cups, each filled to the brim with steaming tea. Mina looked at her, and smiled, getting the message instantly. The tall girl nodded and with a small smile, gave her the cups. "Thank you; try not to catch a cold, okay?"

Ashido snorted. "We'll see. It depends how stubborn he's going to be."

"I hope you enjoy frostbite then..." Todoroki mumbled, eliciting a disapproving look from Yaoyorozu and a smirk from Mina.

Factually speaking, the half-hot, half-cold quirk-user wasn't particularly wrong. Midoriya wasn't exactly a hardheaded, stubborn person in the typical sense, as in, he didn't defy people because he thought he knew better. He defied commands, and defied the normal standards, because in that moment of making a decision, he simply saw the _right_ thing to do, and he didn't care about anything else.

Plus, his health was never the biggest concern he had - although Recovery Girl had made him think twice about those sentiments after she'd chased him from her office following a few grueling training sessions.

Taking a cup - one in each hand - Mina slipped out the door, biting back a shiver and groan as she was immediately pelted by the wind. The snow wasn't terrible, though it whipped in every direction the wind blew, which caused a few seconds of skin-biting cold to lash at Mina's exposed face, making her question whether or not she should run inside and grab a scarf.

Despite the temptation, she was already outside, and there was the chance that she wouldn't want to come back outside if she went in, so she pressed on, the faint crunch of the snow under her boots being the only noise she made. Evidently, it was more than enough to draw Midoriya's attention as she got close, because he turned around - with surprise written all over his face - and blinked, before questioning her. "Ashido? What're you...?"

She huffed playfully. "At least let me surprise you. I went through all this work!"

A smile teased the corners of his mouth, but ultimately, as quick as the sensation had come, his eyes tiled downward, and his mouth curved downward into the frown it had held all day. "Sorry."

"It's alright, I guess I can forgive you." She shrugged, finally coming to a halt next to the boy, shoulder-to-shoulder - or what she'd thought was shoulder-to-shoulder. She blinked as she looked at him, realizing how much _taller_ he was than her. How much taller he was than... almost everyone. When had he grown so much? It seemed like yesterday that he was one of the shortest guys in the class, though he had his fair share of lean, hard muscle. That being said, the man next to her was hardly the boy she remembered.

Maybe it was because he had always been seen next to All Might - and even in his real form, he was a tall, if not skinny, man. There were obviously times during class that Midoriya's height and bulk stood out amongst everyone else, but those times were fleeting enough, and for some reason, Ashido never exactly registered those moments. And then she wondered why she was so confused, standing next to one of the strongest in the school.

Probably one of the strongest in the whole country, if she was honest. He was steadily closing in on the position that Mirio had once held - his technique and power rivaling the current active heroes, and pushing for a rather high ranking, despite not even having officially graduated yet.

"What are you doing out here? You'll get sick if you aren't careful," Midoriya warned. Ashido wanted to snort and throw his logic back at him, but somehow, she knew that wouldn't get her anywhere.

So, she settled with shrugging again. "Maybe; but that just means I won't have to go to class. And that's pretty sweet." She ignored the sideways look he gave him, even graciously offering one of the cups that was nestled snugly within her grip. He blinked, but then the tease of a smile tugged at his lips as he silently accepted the cup.

Silence reigned amongst them again as Ashido quietly sipped on her tea, relishing the warmth that spread through her body as the liquid splashed into her belly. It was like a warm hug from the inside, she thought. Curiously, she looked at Izuku - _ignoring the fact that she had to look upward to do so_ \- and studied him for a moment, as he absent-mindedly stared forward, looking out at the rest of the campus.

His green hair - one of his signature trademarks - had grown slightly longer, becoming even more untamable, and rivaling even her own mess of curls. A few loose strands would drop in front of his eyes, obscuring the radiant emerald eyes that could practically study your soul, should they lock with another set of eyes. While Midoriya wouldn't know this, nor would he agree, he'd emerged as one of the heart-throbs of many spectators. Ashido had no shame in admitting that she would spend countless hours browsing online articles about different fashion crazes when her homework was just a tad too taxing. She loved reading about the developments in heroic gossip, and was _elated_ when Mount Lady and Kamui Woods announced their official engagement. But, as U.A. was one of the hot topics of the heroic community, many pegged the graduating class as a group to pay attention, resulting in a few too many articles involving Midoriya, Bakugou or Todoroki. And Midoriya had grown up nicely, to the pleasure of his growing number of fans.

"What are you thinkin'?" Ashido asked softly, the lingering teasing in her voice fading as she stared in the same direction as her companion.

Midoriya was silent a moment, decidedly blowing on the rim of his cup, as he took a sip. "Just... a bunch of stuff, I guess."

"Today's been... hard." She winced as soon as the words left her mouth; she could've come up with something better than that, couldn't she?

It seemed as if Midoriya agreed, as his downcast look grew a touch more somber. "Yeah." His voice was coarse, like sandpaper, though it lacked any bite. Instead, it reminded Ashido of her father's voice when he was first waking up - thick with grogginess, but rough nonetheless. Obviously though, Midoriya hadn't been sleeping - and she silently doubted he would be anytime soon - so that meant that he'd probably been crying. His eyes _were_ slightly red-rimmed, but his cheeks didn't look stained, nor did they look raw. With the snow that settled around them and the wind that whipped in every which direction, it was slightly difficult to tell the difference between what was caused by the weather, and what was caused by emotion.

They remained silent for a few stretched seconds. Ashido bit her lip; she'd already done _oh so well_ starting the conversation, and honestly, it didn't exactly seem like Midoriya was willing to gabber up a storm at the present moment. Todoroki himself had even said that Midoriya wasn't really talking. She had only meant to keep him company - she didn't exactly have a plan once she reached him.

But that was typical of her. Even though she'd grown older, she had yet to develop well-thought plans prior to engagement. She didn't plan very well, which included far more than just school. Her schedule-planning for internships was shoddy at best, and the amount of times she misestimated how much time she had between an upcoming exam and the current day, resulting in misuse of time. While she laughed off the jokes, it did slightly bother her that she'd been ever incapable of planning. Just once, she wished she could think into the future like the top of the class seemed to be able to. Like Midoriya could.

"I wish I was like you..." She said suddenly.

Midoriya looked at her, confusion written all across his face. Her eyes widened as realization set in, a flush on lilac dusting her face, though no words came out as she slowly opened her mouth to refute what she'd just said.

Honestly, it had come from nowhere - she hadn't even meant to say it. Truthfully, she wasn't sure if she _believed_ it, per-say, but it was something that she'd considered once or twice. Midoriya was... _cool_. She'd caught Mineta admiring the green-haired boy on more than one occasion, completely captivated by his strength and control. And really, she couldn't blame him. Even dating back to their first year, Midoriya had been the picture of what everyone _wanted_ to be. He was the embodiment of a hero, even if he lacked the control over his Quirk. He'd saved Tsuyu and Mineta during the first villain encounter; and even though it felt like a century ago, it had marked the first time that anyone had seen the _heroic_ aspect that Midoriya would later radiate at every moment.

Sure, his Quirk had been a little funky, and the backlash had been extremely concerning for everyone. But the rumors that followed him around were... utterly astonishing.

 _'Did you hear? Midoriya saved Mineta and Tsuyu in the Shipwreak Zone... and I heard from Tsuyu that he saved her again when Shigareki tried to grab her...!'_

 _'Midoriya saved Kota when he fell! I guess Mineta accidentally pull him down or something; but it was super cool!'_

 _'I guess a huge villain corner Midoriya and Kota. From what Kota told the Pussycat Heroes, and from what told the officials, Midoriya super busted himself up... but like, damn! I don't know if I could've handled that guy, if that's true. I saw his picture... seriously scary guy!'_

The rumors just kept cropping up in the class, silent mutterings that continually built the shining image that Midoriya was blissfully unaware of. Not that he'd ever try to feed it, of course. He cared significantly little for his own ego; the more good he could do, he'd do - even without being seen doing it. He'd never done something because there was reward with it. Mina wasn't even sure if he knew what a reward was.

"I... why?" Midoriya was, for all intensive purposes, gob-smacked. There was disbelief scratched all across his face, leaking deep within his muscle, etching into his bones. Ashido almost snorted; he truly didn't see his own glow, did he?

She didn't mind showing him, though. In fact, she knew ruffling his feathers would only break the mood he'd fallen into. With a smile, she looked at him, sincerity gleaming within the depths of her amber eyes. "Because you're... incredible."

"Incredible...?" Midoriya repeated, before sighing. "I don't... think that's me, you're talking about. Maybe... Kacchan, or Todoroki. I'm just..." He paused, contemplating the word. His face twisted as he came to a solution, the word looking bitter on his tongue.

"Me."

"Everyone's amazing in their own way," Mina said firmly, though not unkindly. Her gaze shifted to the scene in front of her; the blankets of snow that hugged the terrance beyond her. She was no stranger to the boy's insecurities. Everyone knew he had them, after all. They'd snuck through his facade time and time again, penetrating even his more uplifting moods. Even as he improved, and he recognized said improvements, it only took a setback or two to remind him that he'd started so much farther behind. Most of the time, it motivated him. But...

Once in awhile, it served to slow him down.

"But you... I don't know." Ashido chuckled quietly, eliciting a curious look from the teenager next to her. "You're so much more."

She turned to him again, an almost fan-girl look in her eye. "I think... you're the most amazing person I know."

Whether or not she was trying to get him to blush was a secret that only she knew; but regardless of her masked intentions, a bright red blush burst across the boy's cheeks, and Mina swore she could see the steam coming from his skin. The snow that touched his face immediately melted, though she knew it had little to do with his sudden embarrassment. Part of her _was_ tempted to scooch a tad closer to him, if only to bask in the warmth he exuded naturally.

"What brings out all of this...?" Midoriya asked quietly. He wasn't... _uncomfortable_ , so-to-speak, though there was definitely an edge of unfamiliarity in his tone. He wanted to deny the claims, yet, he seemed... almost grateful to hear something nice. Maybe it was because it came from an unexpected source, or maybe it was because of the way he was feeling, but either way, he seemed to appreciate it - and that made Mina happy.

She smiled widely, flashing her teeth for everyone to see. "I don't know! I guess I just wanted you to know!"

A weak smile made its way onto Midoriya's face, but after a few moments, he looked down, and sighed, the smile falling from sight. Ashido felt her heart slip a little at that; she'd made so much progress, too! But...

"If I were amazing... he'd still be here, you know."

It didn't take much to realize that he was referring to All Might. But... why?

Mina didn't say anything - instead, she just let him talk when he felt ready.

"He did so much for me. He gave me the means to make my dream a reality... and... I can't help but feel like I failed him." His voice grew soft. It barely carried over the the quiet wail of the wind, and Mina found herself thankful that the weather was fluttering snow, and not a roaring rainstorm, otherwise, he might have been mute in her eyes.

"I do, too."

She could've disagreed with him. She could've argued with him, providing him with reason after reason, example after example, arguing with his (very) flawed logic. It wouldn't have been very hard to unload shot after shot, all in an admiringly vain effort to help him see the reality of how she saw it. But...

It wouldn't do any good. He was set in his ways, and at the moment, he probably _did_ believe every he'd said. It wasn't because that was how he'd always felt. It was his sorrow talking, that much Ashido knew. There was no need to have lost someone to know what sorrow felt like - she'd done her homework on this sort of thing. She'd had friends lose family before, and while it made her cry, too, she knew that whatever they said was a byproduct of their grief. It didn't diminish their feelings in the matter, but it did change how they thought - at least, temporarily.

Arguing with Midoriya would've been like basing her head against a wall; it wouldn't get her anywhere, except halfway to a headache.

"W-what...? Why?"

She eyed him carefully. "Because I did. I never studied, you know that. I feel like I threw away all those chances that he helped me have, and even though I've learned so much, I've also passed up a lot. And now, I'll never have those chances back."

For a moment, Midoriya looked ready to argue, and in that instance, Ashido was ready. A few seconds passed, and there were no exchanged words. Then, then green-haired boy surprised Mina with a thick sigh and a downcast look, nodding slowly, tossing the scattered snowflakes from his messy hair. There was something in his eye - a sign that he agreed.

And why wouldn't he? It wasn't a secret to anyone that Ashido had a habit of ignoring tasks that were set for her by others, unless she was challenged to meet them. By no means was she a bad hero; but she was far from a motivated student, and she knew that. She refused to pretend otherwise, or make excuses - she'd be honest until the day came that she could no longer be honest.

"I regret a lot."

"Yeah," he echoed. "Me too."

A silence once again overlapped the two students. Even with the fluttering snow dancing around their heads, chilling them to the bone, Mina felt a lightness in her chest as her gaze swept over the U.A. campus as a smile spread softly across her face. U.A. was beautiful. The landscape was, for lack of a better term, astounding. During the summer, there was foliage blossoming everywhere, and the gentle breeze that trickled from the sky always seemed to find its way through the clustered campus grounds.

Part of Ashido's heart simply _adored_ the winter-y scenic appearance. She was a sucker for a good photo, and this seemed _perfect_. Then, as she remembered why she'd come out in the first place, and her eyes flashed toward her companion at her side, her heart decided to speed up in tune with her eyes meeting his. For a fleeting moment, the world grew still.

No snow. No wind. No cold.

Just the warmth behind those shimmering eyes of emerald.

"Ashido?"

There was a twinge of - _something -_ in her heart. It was hard to identify. At first, it felt like it was just her heart racing; but then, there was almost a tug. She felt herself... drawn to him? How was that possible? Her stomach turned light, flipping up and down, and her hands suddenly seemed very shaky in their grip of her cup. Were her lips dry, or was it her imagination?

"Uh, A-Ashido?"

Her heart was _definitely_ speeding up. No doubt.

But why?

Why was she so... entranced by the young man in front of her? Sure, he was physically attractive. Disputing that was difficult. Despite the scars that painted his body, each telling a story of loss, love, and sacrifice, she was ignorant to his physical faults. As far as she was concerned, even his most ashamed body feature was a beautiful trait that made him all the more unique. Maybe his nose was a little crooked from being struck during training, so what? Perhaps his hand was mildly deformed from surgery - who _cared_?

They just made him so much more... _him._

"Are you alright? I mean, should I... I dunno… get someone?"

She faintly registered that he was talking to her, but it didn't stop the slightly dreamy smile that slipped onto her face when she locked eyes with him.

"No. I like this."

"O-oh. Okay, then." He offered her a wobbly smile, but didn't move away or show any other signs of discomfort. In fact, he simply looked at her with his ever-calculating green eyes, and then, he flushed pink, before turning so that he could look the same direction she had been previously staring.

God, he was... something else, she realized. She'd never _actually_ taken the time to think about him like she currently was.

For everything he was - for everything he could _be_ \- he was unique. His Quirk, obviously, was the largest contributing factor to that topic, but honestly, Ashido was far beyond using his Quirk as grounds for why he was so special. Everyone's Quirks were different in some aspects, even if they were practically the same in application. The person was more than the Quirk they had.

But for Midoriya - no, his uniqueness went far beyond his Quirk.

He was so... _powerful_. The way he moved, spoke and acted would contradict that power, but yet, Ashido had a feeling that nobody was really _listening_ when he spoke. At times, yes, there was a waver in his voice. Sometimes, it cracked a bit awkwardly, and while it _was_ funny, it was also a reminder of his increasing age and the ever-loving touch of puberty. But despite all those little things, everything he said had _conviction_ behind it. No arrogance, just complete belief.

She knew she could obsess over his muscles all day - and they were _powerful_ \- but his strength went far beyond his physical appearance. Whatever went on with his family, she could only speculate, but she knew that he had to be strong to trust his entire life in the hands of one woman - and she had to be equally strong to support that much love. He had so much love to give, and really, it showed when _he showed_.

Emotions weren't easy to publicly display. Especially as teenagers.

All it took was one especially bad day, and suddenly, you were cleaning up a mess for the next month. Ashido knew especially well how easy it was to get into a heated argument that only took an hour to escalate, but a week to resolve. Strength was typically seen as secluding one's emotions and hiding behind a carefully constructed façade that had only the smallest of incompletions - sometimes by design, sometimes by personal error. It almost seemed like the norm was hiding everything and waiting for the building maelstrom to overcome the barrier's built within, erupting onto everyone around like a sputtering volcano.

Midoriya wasn't like that. He wore it all on his sleeve - everything.

When he was elated, the entirety of Class 3-A felt his utter jubilation. When he was determined, that radiant, motivational energy seemed to leak from his pores and empower their own bodies into moving like they'd never moved before. When he was uncomfortable, his discomfort caused him to practically glow, and there was a unanimous desire to remove the poor boy from the situation before things got too dicey.

And when he was sad, he brought the world along for the trip. Oh sure, he tried to physically _hide,_ but he never tried to emotionally hide what he felt. It was like he was at peace with everyone around him knowing the burning emotion that flickered within his heart, and he welcomed them to take refuge around the heat - even if it were a bit dimmer than usual.

There was strength in that, Ashido would come to realize. He was practically... opening himself up for attack. Enemies of any kind saw that as weakness to exploit - and to their credit, they were probably right. But it never dissuaded him, did it? He'd wear everything on his sleeve, and even if it caused his downfall, he'd rise again, with that burning resolve right there, on his sleeve.

"If you could go back... and give yourself up for All Might... would you?"

Midoriya blinked, turning his gaze upon hers, and Ashido suddenly became increasingly aware of what she'd unknowingly asked. Her heartrate accelerated again - this time, not out of anything romantically driven, but because of the implications she'd left in front of the duo. It was a rather personal question, after all.

And Midoriya, to his credit, was struggling to come up with an answer.

His mouth opened several times, but slowly closed each time, a glint deep within his vibrant eyes; a sign of his ongoing, warring thoughts. "Ye..." He hesitated. And his mouth closed again. But with it, his eyes closed tightly, and his jaw clenched as he sucked in air.

Ashido felt her heart turn heavy. "Midoriya, I... I'm sorry, I didn't mean to, y'know, pry like tha-"

"No."

She blinked; was that answer to her question, or him simply telling her not to be sorry? "No?"

"No." There was discord in his voice; obvious reluctance and... shame? "I... wouldn't."

Ashido said nothing - what _could_ she say to that? Honestly, she hadn't even meant to ask the question. She'd been contemplating his strength and emotions - not thinking about how she could ask the most painful question with what she _figured_ had the most obvious answer. The All Might fanboy, who'd spent his entire time at U.A. idolizing the iconic hero, would have obviously wanted to trade places with All Might if he was prompted. That was just the kind of hero he was.

But, yet, here he was, saying... no?

"I... I don't get it. Why not?"

"Because..." He seemed to struggle with his answer. His eyes opened, and Mina clearly could see tears building up, though he looked away. "This is... what he trained me for. U-us for. I... kinda worshiped him, you know? All Might, from the moment I first saw him on the computer, when he saved all those people in the fire, I was positive - he was the hero I wanted to be like. I didn't... _care_ about what pressure would come with it, or... the s-sacrifice. I wanted to save people with a smile; just like he did." Mina could aptly recall the incident Midoriya described - it was All Might's true debut, after all. One of the most iconic debuts in history, especially considering who All Might would become. "All Might... h-he was the closest thing I had to a dad."

 _There it was._

"I... wish I'd been able to really tell him that I respected everything he did for me. I owe him so much." He glanced at her for the first time since the question was asked, and she felt her heart crack as tears began streaking down his cheeks, falling helplessly from his jaw. "You... _really_ wouldn't believe how much I owe him. He gave me the chance to become a hero worthy of his name - and, yeah, I miss him already. I don't think I'll ever... not miss him. B-but I have a chance, and he entrusted in m- _us_ \- the ability to save people. Trading places with him... I can't say I wouldn't try if we went back, but I think he would've taken it worse than me. And... now it's up to me to make him proud. It's up to us."

For everything he said, Mina was at a loss.

She really, _really_ hadn't been expecting all of... well, _that_. She figured he would've been at a loss for words, and maybe just said he couldn't leave his mother alone like that, but his reason was... so much deeper than she'd given him credit for. And, honestly, she wasn't sure why she'd doubted him. Maybe she hadn't been; but whether or not she had wasn't the point.

"Does that answer your qu- _oof_!"

Her arms wrapped around Midoriya's torso, her hands trying to locate and lock onto one another as her head buried itself in his trapezius muscle. Without meaning to, she drank in his scent, and sighed contently, relaxing as his arms supported her back. There was no doubt he was surprised - though, maybe not as flustered as he used to get when hugged. Despite the layers they both wore, she would swear up and down that she could feel the strong vibration of his heart beating under his shirt(s).

The warmth he exuded was not only welcoming, but it was intoxicating, and she felt quickly felt her eyes droop. Yet, she didn't feel tired or sleepy - she just felt at complete peace.

"I know there's nothing I can say that'll change your mind." Her words were slightly muffled by Midoriya's clothing (and muscle) but she figured he could understand her well enough since he stayed silent, only tightening his grip as she spoke. "But you are, without a doubt, the best hero any of us could want to be. You... he taught you so well."

Even through her nestled state, she caught Midoriya's weak reply. "He taught everyone."

"Seems like you learned the most." She nuzzled into him, and felt him tense, before relaxing. The shifting of his muscles gave her blush plenty of fuel to keep burning, so instead of revealing her embarrassment, she stayed hidden from sight. He might be strong to show off his feelings, but she wasn't - not like that, anyways. "Todoroki might be the best trained fighter. Bakugou might be the best at using his Quirk. Iida might be the fastest. I might be the most flexible. Everyone's a little somethin', you know? But you're... the most heartful."

"Heartful?"

Ashido giggled, but decidedly pulled her head back, a slight pout on her face as she locked eyes with him. "Don't make fun of me! I'm trying to say... you're my inspiration. I guess you could say, you're one of my heroes."

His eyes widened. Unshed tears caused them to shimmer like a kaleidoscope, and momentarily, the world was lost. It was them. There was nothing else. There was no one else. No tragedy. No destinies. No... anything.

Then, she leaned forward, and pressed her (questionably dry) lips to his cheek, and left a tender kiss on his surprisingly warm skin.

"W-wh-w-wha…? A-A-Ashido, wh-why...?"

She giggled again. "Just, y'know, felt like it?"

It didn't mean that she knew why - one second, she was admiring his noble qualities, and the next, her heart was overriding her brain and common sense, taking complete control of her muscles. Did she have a crush on him? Did she love him? Was there a future with him? She had no idea - but she knew she couldn't afford to waste a chance. Not another one. Life was short - All Might's death had reinforced that sentiment. He may not have been young... but even the strongest would fall; and maybe she was acting impulsively but...

She hadn't come outside for just anyone. And maybe, just _maybe_ , acting impulsively would help her sort out her raging emotions, and something good would come out of it.

"You said it yourself. You have regrets, right?" Numbly, he seemed to nod. "Me too. I'll never get those chances back. Whatever All Might taught me, he taught me. I just... m-maybe, I don't want to waste anymore chances, you feel me?"

"I..."

He paused.

Then, he smiled. A real, genuine smile. "Yeah; I understand."

Slowly, she was drawn back in - this time, it was not of her own impulsive decisions. Faintly, she registered his arms tugging her back into his warm embrace; shielding her smaller body from the wind and snow, and for the moment, it felt _right_. She didn't know what she felt for Midoriya Izuku. He was a conundrum. He inspired a multitude of thoughts, ranging from sheer concern to utter amazement. He had the sole ability to bring out the best in everyone, though, and while she wasn't _looking_ for a partner... she couldn't but let her mind wander when she stared into his eyes.

Maybe it was the emotion of losing someone they knew - but neither Ashido, nor Midoriya, wanted to let go.

"Let's go inside. And... maybe... grab dinner?" Ashido asked softly, a hint of embarrassment hanging on her words.

Midoriya smiled, and nodded mutely.

As they walked, hand-in-hand, each one testing out the sparks that they both felt as their fingers intertwined, Midoriya admitted silently to himself: All Might's death hurt. There would likely be a time he could reflect on everything and _not_ feel guilty, but that time wasn't now. It wouldn't be for awhile. It couldn't be. It was all too fresh. And Ashido was right; there wasn't a lot that could just... make him feel better. There wasn't a sentence that anyone would be able to speak that would erase the burden that rested on his shoulders.

But being with her... his eyes rested on her, as she reached forward to open the door, and he felt a flutter in his chest. The pain felt less around her. The way she smiled... the way she reached out to him, his own guiding line amidst a fog of uncertainty, left an impression on him that spoke volumes. He didn't know what he felt, either.

Contradictory to Ashido's musings, he was walking in uncharted territory. But the way his body felt a little lighter, with her by his side, and the way his brain couldn't rid her smile from its memory left him in a state of pleasant confusion. Maybe it was nothing - but maybe it wasn't. And maybe... he should give her a chance to fill the void.

Give her a chance to be his new hero.


End file.
